I pulled away from him slightly, meeting his gaze.

Aquila, who always seemed composed no matter the situation, had a single tear slipping from his crimson eyes.

Carefully, I reached out and wiped it away.

It was warm. Almost burning, as if it had come from a fire.

“…Sorry.”

His voice was low, almost a whisper.

“I can’t control myself when I’m with you. But I don’t need anything else. Just you.”

“I’ll always be by your side.”

Hearing that he still needed me—it sent a strange thrill through me.

Someone in this world wanted me.

Someone in this world prioritized me above all else.

And that was what kept me alive here.

Aquila didn’t respond right away. Instead, he buried his face against my shoulder for a brief moment before pulling away with his usual, composed expression. He reached out his hand.

I took it.

“Let’s go.”@@novelbin@@

“Yeah.”

We were covered in bruises and scrapes from rolling down the slope. My body ached all over. The sooner we got back to base and treated these injuries, the better.

But just as we moved toward the cave entrance—

Rumble—!

“What the hell?”

A deep vibration shook the cave.

The entire ground trembled beneath our feet, making it difficult to stay balanced.

Then, suddenly—

Crash!

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